Leg rest



E. M. AYERS Aug. 28, 1956 LEG REST 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2 Filed July 28, 1952 I 'ii/g .420.

NVENTOR,

FF/ M- fliers LEG REST Eppie M. Ayers, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application July 28, 1952, Serial No. 301,218

2 Claims. (Cl. 155169) The present invention relates to leg rests to be used by persons seated in chairs or the like.

The leg rest of the present invention is designed for use in conjunction with a chair or other seat, for supporting in a prone position the major portion of a human leg.

The prime object of the present invention is to provide a portable leg or foot support which is collapsible, so that it requires a minimum of storage space.

Another object is to provide a leg or foot support which is simple to assemble and to collapse.

A further object is to provide a support of this class which is light in weight, so that it is easily transported.

An additional object is to provide a leg support which is comparatively cheap to manufacture.

A still further object is to provide a leg support which is adjustable so as to hold a leg in various desired positrons.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying two sheets of drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective View of the device in operative condition;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device in closed or collapsed condition;

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a latch fitting used to maintain the legs of the device in upright position; and,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

in the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 indicates a flat rectangular body having two parallel side edges, one of which is indicated by the reference numeral 2, and the other of which is not shown. The body 1 has a front end 3 and a rear end 4 which are parallel to each other, and both of which are perpendicular to the side edge 2. Adjacent the front end 3, the upper surface of the body 1 is centrally provided with a slanting slot 5, the bottom surface of which is arcuate transversely.

The device further includes four corner posts or legs 6, '7, 3 and 9, the upper end of each of which is connected to the lower surface of the body 1 by a conventional strap hinge 10. The four hinges 10 are so positioned beneath the body 1, that the free ends of the legs may be swung upwardly beneath the side edge portions of the body, as the legs are viewed in Fig. 2.

The outer vertical edge surfaces of the body 1 are provided with latch fittings 11, (Fig. 3), of the sliding bolt type, and the outer surfaces of the upper portions of the legs are equipped with ear fittings 12 for receiving the bolts 13 of the fittings 11. Each bolt 13 is provided with a projecting handle 14, whereby the bolt may be manually actuated.

The side portions of the body 1 are each equipped with a swinging lid, the two of which are indicated by the reference numerals 15 and 16. Conventional strap hinges nited States Patent 2,760,558 Patented Aug. 28, 1956 "ice 17 act to connect the lids 15 and 16 to the body 1. The two hinges 17, which mount the lid 15 to the body, are set upon a strip 18 on the upper surface of the body 1, so that the lid when closed is raised above the body 1 a distance equal to the thickness of the strip 18.

A foot or heel rest member 20 has its rear end swingably attached to the front edge 3 of the body 1 by a conventional strap hinge 21. The member 20 consists substantially of a panel which has most of its central portion cut out to form a substantially rectangular opening 22. The front end of the opening 22 is arcuate as shown in Fig. 1, and the front edge of the member 20 is similarly arcuate.

The member 20 is provided for the purpose of supporting a persons foot, with his heel engaged within the opening 22. The rear end edge of the member 20 is bevelled so that the member slants upwardly toward the front. As a means for holding the front end of the member 20 against downward movement, and also as a means for selectively increasing the slant of the member, there are provided two turn-buckles 23 and 24. The turn-buckles are conventional in structure, with their rear ends connected to the body 1 by threaded I-bolts, one of which is indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 by the reference numeral 25. The front ends of the turn-buckles 23 and 24 are respecti 'ely connected to the side edges of the member 20 by threaded I-bolts 26 and 27.

In order to place the device in condition to be used, when it is in its closed or collapsed condition as depicted in Fig. 2, the free ends of the legs 6, 7, 8 and 9 are first swung downwardly so as to place the legs in vertical posi tion beneath the body 1. The latch bolts 13 are then manually operated to anchor the legs in their vertical positions as shown in Fig. 1. The lids 15 and 16, in the order named, are then swung upwardly and outwardly to the positions illustrated in said Fig. 1.

The free end of the foot support member 20 is next swung downwardly and then upwardly so that it projects forwardly from the body 1, as shown in Fig. l. The parts of the two turn-buckles 23 and 24 are then assembled in an obvious manner, so as to anchor the member 20 in its slanting position.

When these steps have been taken, the device is ready for use. A person seated upon a chair or divan may use the device by placing its rear end toward the seat in longitudinal alignment with the leg to be supported. The person places his heel in the opening 22, with the sole of his longitudinal arch seated against the arcuate end of the opening 22. The calf of the users leg will rest in the arcuate slot 5 in the body 1.

There might well be occasions in which it is desirable to use the device with all of the legs in folded position, or with the rear legs 8 and 9 open and the front legs 6 and 7 collapsed. It is of course possible to use the device with the individual legs in any independent position.

It is thought that the device hereinabove disclosed will accomplish all of the objects and purposes set forth. The device may well be used by a person reclining cross-ways on a bed with his legs hanging over the side thereof.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A leg rest comprising: a rectangular horizontally disposed body, having a supporting leg hingedly connected to its lower surface adjacent each respective corner, said body having a transverse arcuate recess formed in its forward upper edge for resting a portion of the under side of a persons leg; a heel and foot supporting panel having one end hingedly connected to the forward lower edge and below the recess of said body, said panel having its central portion cut away defining an opening therethrough permitting a portion of a persons heel to lie in repose therein; n a turnbuck p q l y sn ect d. to and sn ns e n o a d f n u po pane nd the adjacent forward end of the side of said sppport body, respectively, for adjustably positioning said foot support panel vertically relative to said support body.

2. In a leg rest the combination with a tablelike support having an arcuate recess transversely disposed in one upper end edge, said support having outwardly and up wardly slanting lids hingedly connected longitudinally to each side, respectively, for preventing lateral movement of a persons leg, of: A heel and foot supporting panel having one end hingedly connected to the lower edge of the 15 end of said table-like support having the recess, said panel having an arcuate forward end and said panel having its central portion cut away defining an opening therethrough permitting a portion of a persons heel to lie in 4 t repose therein; and a turnbuckle pivotally connected to and extending between each side of said foot support panel and the forward end ofthe side of the support body for adjustably positioning the forward end of said support panel vertically relative to said support body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 148,343 Yates Mar. 10, 1874 163,829 Westerkamp May 25, 1875 266,630 Jambers Oct. 31, 1882 866,316 Watson Sept. 17, 1907 2,375,225 Herbert May 8, 1945 2,609,864 Gates Sept. 9, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 7,337 Great Britain of 1837 12,611 Great Britain 1915 470,705 Great Britain Aug. 16, 1937 

